Cirque d’Art to perform Dracula

Daysha Porter, Megan Coriell, and Sami Matthews performing as the three wives.

Peggi Wilkes | Cirque d’Art

The story of Dracula is dark, daunting and dangerous and it comes to life this weekend, Oct. 21-22 thanks to Cirque d’Art.

Shows will take place in the Southern Ohio Museum, 825 Gallia Street, on Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 28-29, at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee on Oct. 29. The show will take place in the theatre, guests are asked to use the 6th Street entrance.

Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students. Parental discretion is advised.

“Dracula is a dark love story of sorts,” said Director Pegi Wilkes. “There’s not a lot of ‘oh my gosh I’m terrified moments,’ but there are some ‘oohh’ moments.”

The production predominantly features a cast of college and high school students due to its mature content and features classical and modern ballet alongside acrobatic and aerial routines.

According to Director Trisha Schmidt, the story follows the basic plot line of Dracula, but has been adapted to fit in with circus routines.

“We saw Ballet Met’s Dracula about 15 years ago and we really wanted to do it, but we had to wait until we had the age and the development of our students to where they could pull it off and they really do a tremendous job. It’s very mature, it’s very entertaining and you’re not going to see any other Dracula look quite like it,” explained Wilkes. “We have great costumes and the music really helps to tell the story, of course we don’t do any speaking in our performances so the choreography, the costuming and the props really has to tell Dracula’s story for us and I think that our kids do a fabulous job of doing that.”

The students have been working alongside Eddie Harbert, an acting coach from Huntington, West Virginia to help convey their emotions and understand their characters mannerisms.

Student Hadyn Schmidt has been playing the character of Lucy for the past three years, and says that working with Harbert has helped her evolve in the role.

“It’s a very mature role and I started in this role when I was 18,” Haydn explained. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned some of those mature emotions that she feels and I can portray those better now that I’ve got through some of them myself. Working with Eddie has helped me tremendously. He’s better than any acting instructor I know. He really knows how to pull it out of us and relate things so that we understand.”

According to directors Schmidt and Wilkes, the script has been re-written with a new surprise ending.

While Student Haydn Schmidt would not reveal any secrets, she did offer some hints.

“I think it’s definitely a shocker and kind of a good twist,” said Hadyn. “It’s a little devious. It could get a little bloody towards the end, that’s the only hint I’m gonna give. It’s a something that you kind of always wondered. What exactly happens in the end and what goes on after Dracula gets Mina?”

For more information about Dracula Redux, you can go online to www.somacc.com/category/cirque or by visiting their Facebook page, “The Cirque d’Art Theatre.”

Trevor Long as a gargoyle in last year’s performance of Dracula.

http://portsmouth-dailytimes.aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2016/10/web1_Dracula-1.jpgTrevor Long as a gargoyle in last year’s performance of Dracula. Peggi Wilkes | Cirque d’Art

Daysha Porter, Megan Coriell, and Sami Matthews performing as the three wives.